A Rookie Adventure
by RosemonkeyCT
Summary: Three girls, one region, and a quest to forge their own paths as Pokemon trainers.
1. Chapter 1 - The First Step

The sun was still low in the sky, but the morning was already pleasantly warm. Jade could feel the light bathing her arm, and sighed in her half-awake state of relaxation. Staying here forever, she thought, wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Hrroooooo..." a voice whistled by her ear.

She wriggled and turned away from the noise. "Five more minutes," she mumbled.

The ground around her shifted slightly and a large nose began to nuzzle the area around her face, blowing warm air across her cheek. Jade giggled and yawned, rubbing her eyes and blinking against the light.

"Alright, I'm awake. Thanks Princess," Jade said, reaching out a hand to stroke the large, blue serpent-dragon that was her mother's Dragonair.

"Huurooooooo," Princess cooed pleasantly in response, wrapping the little girl up in its coils. Jade cuddled into the Pokémon for a while before untangling herself and walking to the water's edge, gazing out at the ocean they'd crossed the night before.

"You should be getting back soon. Mum will be glad to see you. Give her a hug from me." Jade caressed the Dragonair's back once more, and then watched as her childhood friend glided over the sandy bank and slipped effortlessly into the frothy surf. Jade continued to stare out, her back towards the rising sun, looking for signs of Princess long after the dragon Pokémon would be out of sigh. Fighting to swallow the tightness in her throat, she smiled despite her damp eyes. Nobody said that beginning her Pokémon journey would be easy.

Jade's tenth birthday had only been weeks before, so most of the gifts had been relevant to her trip. Her parents had bought her plenty of writing supplies, knowing she loved letters, as well as a compact camping kit, a stylish water bottle and book of simple things she could make and eat. She tugged this out now, picking at what was left her her packed lunch and contemplating a more hearty breakfast.

She thought back to how it must be at home without her. She knew her parents would already be awake, tending to the Pokémon. First they'd feed the injured Ponyta their breakfasts, and any medication they'd need to take. Then it'd be the turn of Richter and Tempo, the two powerful Tauros who pulled her parents caravan whenever they moved to a better graze location. Usually at this time Jade would be feeding Swift, her mother's former racing Rapidash. In his day, Swift was incredibly feisty, and nobody but Jade's mother could calm him once he started to rage. She loved hearing about all of his stories, barely believing him to be the same gentle steed who now pulls her own little cart during moving days, and keenly follows her around the grazing fields looking for treats and a scratch on his nose.

Jade wanted a Rapidash of her own someday. She knew she'd never be a racer like her mother; she was too much like her father. Calm, careful, and a little bit shy. He'd been working under Professor Oak in Kanto when the pair had met. She the flighty trainer travelling the region, and he the scientific breeder nurturing infant Pokémon in a quiet corner of Kanto. When his experience of breeding attracted the attention of Professor Elm, Jade's mother would have happily followed the man she loved had she not already been pregnant. They were reunited before Jade was born, and the whole family moved to Johto to start a new life. But this move, and her parents' strong ties with Kanto, was why they had sent her back here to start her own Pokémon journey.

Still feeling peckish, Jade finished getting herself dressed and packed up her belongings, before making her way north towards Pallet Town. It was here she'd been born, though she left before she was a year old and had no memory of it. She was excited to be getting her Pokémon training license, despite the anxiety of being so far away from home. Her worries only increased as it seemed to take for ever to find civilisation. But eventually she spotted rooftops, and a few well-used dirt paths through the trees.

Finding Pallet Town was one thing, but she couldn't see any signs that indicated where Professor Oak's laboratory might be. Jade sighed, glaring at the sun with frustration for already being so high. She wasn't off to a good start and, to make matters worse, the streets seemed to be deserted. She was just contemplating knocking on someone's door to ask directions when she heard raised voices coming from a nearby street. While she ordinarily would have avoided what sounded like an argument she preferred that to bothering strangers in their houses, so she walked in the direction of the voices and hoped they could help.

Rounding a corner, Jade saw the cause of the commotion. Two girls were approaching her, one blonde with a harassed expression, and the other an auburn-haired girl who was flushed in the face. The blonde one noticed Jade first and quickened her pace, much to the annoyance of her companion.

"You know I'm right," the rad-haired girl cried out. "Running away won't change that."

"I'm not listening," the blonde girl replied in a musical voice without even turning round. She stopped short a few feet away from jade, smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Hi," she quipped. "Are you getting your Pokémon license today, too?"

"Erm, yeah," Jade replied, blushing a little. She took an involuntary step backwards as she saw the red-haired girl approaching, suddenly realising she'd been brought into the middle of a situation she'd rather not be part of.

"What did you run off for?" she gushed. Up close her green eyes flashed brightly, and the locks of her short, auburn hair frizzed messily in the breeze. Jade pulled at the hem of her dress self-consciously, taking in the tomboyish look of this girl's clothing, and then flitting her eyes to the stylish blonde girl. Her hair fell in loose ringlets from a pair of pigtails on her head, tucked neatly behind some leather goggles just above her fringe. She was wearing shorts and large walking boots, which looked more than ready for a journey across any kind of terrain.

"I didn't run off," she was saying, her voice strained. "I was saying hello to this girl here..."

"Jade," she jumped in, wanting to be polite.

"Right, saying hello to Jade," the girl continued.

"I'm Brianna," the red-haired girl quipped, holding out a hand to Jade as if to shake. Jade returned the gesture uncertainly. "But I like to be called Bree."

"That's nice," the blonde girl sighed, a little sarcastically. "I'm Sophie," she added, before walking on down the path. Jade hesitated, not sure if she should follow Sarah or stay with Bree.

Her mind was made up for her, however, when Bree smirked and said, loudly, "you're going the wrong way."

"Well, any way has to be better than the way you're going," Sophie replied, snappily. But she came back anyway.

"We were just talking about Gym Badges," Bree gushed. "want to see who can get the most?"

Jade took a breath to reply, but Sophie cut across her. "For the last time, nobody cares. You can have all the badges you want."

"Maybe Jade's not like you," Bree sulked. "Maybe she DOES want to collect them too, right Jade?"

"And maybe you should stop trying to make everyone else think like you," Sophie replied, her blue eyes blazing.

This went on until they arrived at Professor Oak's laboratory, which saved Jade from having to admit she'd no idea what the Gym badges were or how you collect them. She just wanted to travel around the region she'd been born in. Beyond that, and getting a Ponyta of her own, she didn't have any goals.

"How could you not want the badges?" Bree was persisting. "That's what every trainer dreams of; beating the gym leaders, going to the League competition and being a Pokémon Champion."

"And having everyone stare at you and pick on everything you say and do for the rest of your life," Sophie sighed. "Not everyone wants to be famous. It's boring."

"You're just scared," Bree said, decisively. "You know you'll lose because you're not strong enough, so you don't want to even try! That's just silly."

"No, you're the one who's silly," replied Sophie. "How can I not be strong enough when I don't have a Pokémon yet and neither do you?"

Jade sighed again, and pushed the bell. At the sound of Professor Oak's voice on the intercom Bree and Sophie mercifully fell silent and followed Jade up the driveway. The door opened as they approached, and man with youthful eyes and silver hair beamed at them.

"Welcome, all of you," he chirped. "You must be here for your Pokémon licenses, yes? Come on in."

The three girls shuffled nervously through the hallway, following the man into a tiled room filled with odd machinery. In the middle of the floor was a round pillar-like mechanism that held three Poké balls under a glass dome. Jade's breath caught in her chest as she realised that, within a little while, one of those Pokémon would belong to her.

"Well, I believe we've never met before, but I am Professor Oak and this is my laboratory where I study Pokémon and, more specifically, their relationships with humans. To that end, I would like to give you each a Pokémon and Pokédex today. Please, wont you tell me your names?"

All three hesitated, until Bree stepped forward. "Brianna Crossland, Professor," she said, with a slight stammer.

"Ahhh, of course," the Professor smiled. "You do look a lot like your mother, you know." He beamed as he handed her a green Pokédex, before looking to the other two.

"My name is Sophie Bell," Sophie said, politely. "Pleased to meet you, Professor."

"Why, the pleasure is all mine, my dear," Professor Oak replied, handing her a blue Pokédex. "And I assume that leaves...?" he trailed off, looking at Jade expectantly.

"Jade Avalon, Professor," Jade said, blushing.

"Of course you are," Oak smiled, waving a purple Pokédex in her direction. She took it, gratefully.

Just then, a man walked into the room. He had longish black hair, and grinned sheepishly. "Oh, sorry Professor," he said. "I didn't realise you had company."

"It's okay," the Professor waved dismissively. "Ladies, this is one of my assistants, Tracy. Did you need me for something?"

"Oh, it can wait," Tracy said, retreating through the door he'd come from.

"Now, where was I?" Professor Oak pondered a moment, before a smile spread over his lips. "Ah yes, the best part. Do you girls know which Pokémon you want?"

All three of them nodded in earnest. Professor Oak frowned. "Normally, you wouldn't all arrive at the same time, so there's an element of first-come, first-served involved. But, as you are all here at once, it might be tricky if there are any crossovers."

"I'd like Bulbasaur," Bree burst, before biting her lip with embarrassment. She glanced towards Sophie, who pulled a face.

"Don't look at me, I don't want your Bulbasaur," she replied. "I'd prefer Squirtle."

"And you?" Oak asked Jade, who swallowed before whispering her choice to be Charmander.

"Well, that's easy then," he grinned, handing each of them a Poké ball. Jade gripped hers tightly, enjoying the weight and the coolness of the metal in her hand. Knowing that her very first Pokémon was in that ball made her stomach flutter with excitement.

"Here are a few spare Poké balls each," Oak said, handing them out in groups of five. Jade knew trainers could only carry six Pokémon at a time, and she wondered what happened to the rest. When Professor Oak asked if they had any questions, she mentioned this to him and he explained about the PC transfer system. Knowing that any spare Pokémon she caught would be sent back to Pallet Town and the Professor made her feel very secure, and she happily left the lab still clutching her Charmander's ball.

She'd have released the Pokémon at once had Bree and Sophie not begun arguing again. "You picked a water-type, that means my Bulbasaur is stronger than your Squirtle," Bree was saying, proudly. "I told you I'd be better."

"That doesn't matter," said Sophie. "This young, I bet it doesn't even know a grass-type attack yet. You're being stupid again."

"I am not stupid!" said Bree, fiercely. She walked to the bottom of the driveway and peered up and down the street, as if looking for something. Before the others could react, she suddenly burst into tears and ran away down the road.

"What did I say?!" Sophie cried, a look of shock on her face. "Come on," she cried, before taking off after Bree, closely followed by Jade.

They found her leaning on a fence, still crying and with a young boy in her arms. A woman approached from inside the garden, with the same flaming hair and a tired look on her face.

"Beena," the little boy was saying, poking Bree in the cheek where her tears were.

"I know, Louie," the woman sighed, taking the child into her own arms. "I tried, Brianna," she said, soothingly. "I can't leave Kimmy home on her own, you know that. And with her fever so high I can't bring her with me."

"I know, Mum," Bree sighed, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's just, today's important."

"I know it is, sweet heart," Bree's mother replied, with sadness in her eyes. "I wanted to be there, I really did. But your father's not back yet."

"Meeting Rowan?" Bree said, bitterly.

Bree's mother sighed, and shook her head. "Rowan left yesterday,. and you know I'm annoyed with your father about that. But what's done is done, I can't get the money back now."

"That was supposed to be my PokéGear," Bree said, crying harder.

"Brianna..." her mother began.

"I know, I know!" Bree cried, stifling her sobs. "I know you can't help it, I know you couldn't come. It just isn't fair."

"No, love," Bree's mum shuffled the toddler in her arms, but he stretched out for Bree again and she leaned over the fence to take him.

"Beena," the boy said, poking her face again until she giggled.

"They're going to miss you," Bree's mum said, smiling sadly.

"Oh, Mum," Bree laughed through her tears, turning and giving her mother a hug over the fence as she passed the baby back. As she did so, she caught sight of Sophie and Jade watching.

"Are these your friend, Brianna?" Bree's Mum asked, as Sophie walked over, followed by Jade.

"Yeah," Sophie said, before Bree could reply. "You coming with us?"

Bree hesitated, wiping her eyes a little more. After a moment, she nodded, and began to smile a little.

"Good," Sophie turned to Bree's mother. "If she needs to get in touch with you at all, Mrs Crossland, I have a PokéGear she can borrow."

"That's comforting to know," Bree's mum smiled, reaching out to brush a strand of Bree's hair from her face. Bree shuffled uncomfortably, picking up her bag and waving goodbye to her family. As the girls walked away, Bree turned to Sophie with confusion in her eyes.

"Why did you...?" she began, her question trailing off.

"Look," Sophie said, sighing deeply. "We should start again, alright? Are you okay?"

"I guess," Bree replied. She paused, before adding, "my Dad wants me to collect the badges, I think. It'll make him proud."

"Then that's what we'll do," Sophie said, firmly. "But you're collecting them, we're just your cheering squad, okay?"

Bree laughed. "What about Jade?" she asked.

Jade took a deep breath. "Before today I'd never heard of them," she confessed. "I'm happy to watch you battle for them, I just want to travel."

"Same here." Sophie agreed. "So following you is as good a reason as any, right?"

Bree laughed again. "Sure," she said. "Sounds like a plan to me."


	2. Chapter 2 - Catching a Pokémon

The peaceful atmosphere didn't last long once the girls left Pallet Town. Bree seemed naturally competitive, and was challenging Sophie to see who could catch a Pokémon first.

"I'm not getting into a silly contest with you," Sophie sniffed, irritably.

"Fine," Bree said, smirking as she backed away. "I've already won, then."

"Hey!" Sophie cried, as Bree ran off into the long grass beside the road. She soon followed, leaving Jade alone with the bags. Shaking her head, but with a smile on her face, Jade carried their belongings to a nearby tree and settled down underneath it to wait.

Finally alone, she pulled the Poké ball from her pocket and examined it. She'd often had dreams about being a trainer, and this felt exactly like she'd imagined it would. Gently, she held the ball out in front of her, hand shaking a little as she leaned her arm on her bent knees, and pressed the button on the front. the ball snapped open with a click, beaming white light that formed into a shape on the ground. And there, standing quietly before her, was the little fire lizard she had chosen for her starter Pokémon.

He was a little bigger than she'd pictured, with his tail flame flickering in the breeze. He regarded her with a quiet, blank stare that seemed to give no hint of emotion. She slowly placed the ball on the ground, and held out her fingers, just a little, in a gesture of welcoming. At first the Pokémon just stared at her but, after a little while, he shuffled closer. She couldn't help but laugh, as she could tell he was trying to look proud and strong. He tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"It's alright, Charmander," Jade said, her voice light. "I've never had a Pokémon before, and you've never had a trainer before. There's no need to be nervous. We'll figure it out together."

"Char?" The Charmander seemed intrigued and, after a little more hesitation, it came closer and sniffed her fingers.

"See?" Jade smiled. "I'm not so scary."

The Charmander still gazed at her with some confusion, but it seemed to relax a little more. When she asked if it was a boy or girl he indicated he was male, and she called him Charmer.

"That is, if you don't mind having a name?" she added, suggestively.

"Chaaaar," he replied, nodding in an encouraging way, before walking closer to Jade and prodding her. "Char char?" he asked.

"I don't speak Charmander," Jade laughed. "But are you asking me about my name?"

"Chaaaar!" Charmer grinned that she understood.

""I'm Jade," she replied. "Jade Marie Avalon, from Johto. But I was born in Pallet Town. Do you know what those are?"

Charmer shook his head, and he sat next to Jade as she explained about the two regions. She told him about her parents, and the travelling ranch they ran back home. He was fascinated, all the while relaxing in her presence.

Soon after, the other two came back. It was easy to see from their faces they'd been unsuccessful. Jade, however, was surrounded by a flock of Pidgey, and one was even eating seed from her hand.

When the others flew away, this one stayed close, and Jade held out a Poké ball and  
>tried a capture. The ball drew the Pidgey inside, wiggled a few times, and then clicked into place. Sophie and Bree were stunned, not only at how she'd handled the wild Pokémon, but also how comfortable her Charmander looked sitting next to her. When he saw them coming he shuffled behind her, but she reached back and stroked him reassuringly.<p>

"It's okay, Charmer," she said, soothingly. "They're my friends, they're going to travel with us. This is Sophie, and this is Bree. Guys, this is Charmer."

"How did you do that?" Sophie asked, her eyes wide.

"Do what?" Jade replied, puzzled.

"Your Pokémon looks so comfortable," Bree complained. "Mine looks so grumpy, and it didn't want to fight."

"Mine sulked," Sophie laughed. "You're so good with them, though. How do you know what to do."

Jade blushed. This was the first time they'd really paid her so much attention. "Well," she began. "I'm from Johto, though I was born in Kanto. My parents look after a lot of Pokémon, so I'm used to them."

"You never told us you were from Johto!" Bree gasped. "What's it like?"

"So far, not that different," Jade replied, thoughtfully.

"We've been so silly," Sophie said, frowning. "Just because you're quieter than we are, we assumed you wouldn't be stronger."

"This isn't strength," Jade replied. "Not like the kind you guys argue over."

"There's different ways to be strong," Sophie said, smiling as Charmer slowly inched his way back around to examine them. "We've not taken the time, like you have, to get to know our Pokémon. It's no wonder that Pidgey was drawn to you."

"Pell," Jade said. "She's called Pell."

"How can you tell she's a girl?" Bree asked.

"She told me," Jade replied. "I asked her, same as I asked Charmer. I talked to her before I captured her, and she wanted to stay."

"You can understand what they say?" Bree cried, even more aghast.

Jade laughed. "There's more than one way to communicate, Bree. If there's something they want to tell you they make sure you understand."

"Lets give Jade some more time with Charmer and get to know our own Pokémon a bit better," Sophie said. She walked away a little with her Squirtle's ball and released him on the grass, before sitting down and trying to talk to him. Bree looked a little worried, but she walked away to do the same.

Jade watched for a while, before remembering the Pokédex Professor Oak had given her. She explained to Charmer that using it wouldn't hurt him before she scanned his information.

_"Charmander, the lizard Pokémon. The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If healthy, its tail burns intensely."_

In response to this, Charmer flicked his tail back and forth. He watched, curiously, as Jade scanned her friends' Pokémon one at a time.

_"Squirtle, the tiny turtle Pokémon. It shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity._

_"Bulbasaur, the seed Pokémon. For some time after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the seed on its back."_

"Chaaaar," Charmer crooned, fascinated at the Pokédex. Then he tugged at jade's pocket, encouraging her to do Pell next.

"Alright, I'm getting to that," Jade laughed, as she released Pell onto the ground beside her. The little Pidgey watched, calmly, as the device was pointed at her.

_"Pidgey, the tiny bird Pokémon. It is docile, and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can ferociously strike back."_

"Docile... that's like gentle, right?" said Jade. "Well, you seem quite gentle, but I bet you COULD fight back if you wanted, like the Pokédex said."

The Pidgey bobbed its head and chirped loudly, before taking flight and landing on Jade's shoulder, rubbing her head into her trainer's cheek. Sophie came over at that moment, carrying Squirtle in her arms. It was wearing Sophie's sunglasses and grinning cheekily.

"I called him Bubbles," Sophie smiled. "He's a bit giddy. he keeps rooting through my bag."

"Bulbasaur's still not very keen on me," sighed Bree. The grass Pokémon followed her over, sulkily.

"I'm sure he'll come around," Sophie said, reassuringly. "Come on, we need to keep going if we've any chance of getting to Viridian City.

"We won't get there before dark I don't think," Bree said, biting her lip.

"So we'll cover as much ground as we can before camping out," Sophie replied, taking hold of Bree's bag and running off down the road with it, much to Bree's protests. They kept walking until the light began to fail, before settling down in their sleeping bags by a makeshift campfire Charmer helped start.

"You know what I miss," said Bree dreamily as they settled down. "I miss lemonade. I love lemonade!"

"Yea, especially on a warm day," gushed Sophie. "But it'd go flat with all the walking we're doing, and it tastes better cold."

"It's too warm to keep drinks cool," complained Bree. "Even the water in my flask didn't stay cool."

"I like fresh lemonade," said Jade. "My Mum used to make it when we found a lemon tree, she'd add lots of sugar and make it really sweet."

"I've never had freshly made lemonade before," said Bree. "I bet it's nice."

"It's lovely," Jade smiled. "We should make some one day."

"That'd be awesome," said Sophie, who was rummaging around in her bag. She pulled out a small, rectangular device with a flip-lid. Jade's eyes widened.

"Oh, my parents have something like that!"

"What is it?" asked Bree.

"It's a miniature computer," explained Sophie. "It connects to the internet. I have a diary online that I want to keep up with, to record my Pokémon journey. That way, my Mum can read it without me having to keep calling her."

"That's clever," said Jade, her voice tinged with awe.

"Don't you need batteries for it?" asked Bree.

"It has quite a long lifespan; I just need to remember to charge it at Pokémon Centers. If I stayed on it for hours, it would run out, but I only need to use it for a few minutes each night to update my diary."

"Can other people read it?" asked Jade.

"Of course," Sophie laughed. "Take a look."

She flipped the computer around, and showed them a screen with a Poké ball-themed web page. At the top right was a picture of her, smiling and holding a Poké ball. The first diary entry explained how she was getting ready for a Pokémon journey, and wanted to record it so that she could look back and see how far she'd traveled. It also meant other people could read what she was doing, and see what it was really like to go on a Pokémon journey.

"Wow, that's such a cool idea," said Jade. "I've never written a diary before."

"I used to read a lot when I was at home," explained Sophie. "There wasn't much else to do, and it helped pass the time. But most of what I read was made up stories about Pokémon, or factual books about their abilities. I didn't see much about trainers and their journeys. So I'm writing about mine."

"What are you going to write about tonight?" asked Jade.

"Well, I'm going to say how I got to Professor Oak's lab, and picked a Squirtle which I called Bubbles. I'm going to say I haven't caught any Pokémon yet, but I am travelling with two new friends I made. Do you guys mind me using your first names in my diary?"

"No, of course not," said Jade, beaming. "I think it's fantastic, I'd love to be in your story."

Bree had been quiet for a few minutes. Finally, she asked, "are... you going to tell the internet about the fight we had?"

"Don't be silly," Sophie frowned. "We didn't really fall out, and even if we had that's not a nice thing to do. I'd never tell everyone something like that."

"Then yes, you can write about me," said Bree, smiling. "Maybe some of my family will read it."

"I'll write down the address for you both," said Sophie. "Then you can tell your family, if they want to read it. I can tell how many people go on the page, so I'll know if we're getting lots of attention."

"Do you have a camera?" asked Bree. "You could put photos up of all of us, and the Pokémon we catch. It'll be fun."

"That's a great idea," said Sophie. "We can do that tomorrow, when it's light."

The next morning, the three girls played with Sophie's camera, taking lots of photos to upload to her diary. She made a page that read "about my friends", and let the two girls decide what the page should say about them and their Pokémon. Then she made another page about her own Pokémon, and wrote some nice lines about Bubbles, which made him feel so embarrassed that he hid inside his shell.

Finally, she made a page for all the photographs they'd taken. Some were of the three starter Pokémon, some were of each trainer with their own Pokémon, and some were of the three girls. For once, Bree and Sophie were getting on really well, and Jade wondered if that's how sisters were with one another; fighting one minute and friends the next.

Sophie also took a picture of Jade with Pell on her shoulder, and wrote a whole diary post about how she'd been the first one to catch a Pokémon out of all three of them. This embarrassed Jade, but made her very happy. She'd already decided to tell them about it as soon as she next contacted them, and now they could see her and her Pokémon properly.

The group soon set off; keen to get to Viridian City as they didn't have much food left between them. By the time they reached the outskirts of the City, it was almost lunch time, and they were getting very hungry.

"The Pokémon Center is near the middle of the city," Officer Jenny explained, when they asked for directions. "Here you are, have a map of the area. You can find the Pokémon Center if you go through this way."

"Thank you, Officer," said Sophie, politely. They followed the map, and arrived at the Center just over an hour later.

The three girls tucked into a decent lunch while Nurse Joy checked over their Pokémon. She called them to the desk when she was done, and smiled warmly at them.

"I must admit, I'm surprised," she said. "I don't remember the last time I saw so many new trainers come through my door without a scratch on their Pokémon. They're usually so irresponsible, and get into all sorts of mischief! But you three are being really sensible, it's refreshing to see."

Bree giggled, while Sophie tried to hold a mature conversation with Nurse Joy. Jade just smiled. She didn't feel sensible, or reckless. She was just enjoying every day, and couldn't wait for the next one.

Across the road from the Pokémon Center, an older girl was leaning against a wall, intently licking an ice cream. She was purposefully ignoring the stares she'd attracted from a group of boys at a nearby table, but only to entice them more. She wasn't too tall for her age, but had flowing hair and a stunning complexion. Flicking her hair seductively in the warm sunlight, she closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards, allowing the guys to check her out more openly.

Just as a few of her admirers were debating whether to walk over and strike up a conversation she was approached by a young lad of a similar age. Disappointed, her new fan club turned away, assuming he was her boyfriend. Of course, a girl that pretty had to already be taken.

The girl sighed with exasperation at her new companion as he leaned against the wall next to her.

"You should have taken your time," she said, opening one eye and regarding him, dryly. "I was enjoying the sunshine."

"Enjoying the attention, more like," he replied, glancing towards the table of boys who were now ignoring them again. "You forget how well I know you, Helen."

She stamped her foot dramatically and glared, all pretense of the seductress lost. "You make me sound like a tart," she hissed. "I think about work too, and about Pokémon."

"Never said you didn't," the guy cooed, with a smirk on his face.

Helen sighed, and closed her eyes again, tossing the now-melting ice cream in a nearby bin. She'd only eaten it for the way it looked, and now there was no point in finishing it.

"So what did the boss have to say?" she asked.

"Not a lot really," said the guy, looking deflated. "I was hoping he'd have a mission for us by now, but he said since we've only been actively on the field for a few days he doesn't want to drop us in over our heads."

"Hmm," Helen mused, thoughtfully. "Makes sense, I suppose. When do you think we'll be trusted with something bigger Troy?" She regarded her companion fully for a moment. He was a striking lad, tall and athletic with clear blue eyes and shaggy brown hair he kept fairly short. But to her mind, all she saw was the same boy who'd taken charge of her years before when she'd ran away from home. He was like a brother to her and, while she'd always be grateful for all he'd done, she was determined never to show him how indebted she felt to him. After all, to her that was a sign of weakness and she wouldn't entertain it.

Troy was sighing, eyes scanning the distance. "I don't know, but I hope it's soon," he was saying. "We didn't go through all that training to eat ice cream. Maybe we should use our initiative and think of something for ourselves to do first."

"So what do we do?" asked Helen.

It took Troy so long to answer, as he thought about their options, that Helen wished she'd kept her ice cream. Maybe she could have attracted the attention of her admirers again.

"What we need to do..." he said, finally. "What we need is a plan. We need to draw attention to ourselves within the organisation, but in a small way."

"I'm an expert at getting attention," said Helen, flashing a cheeky smile.

"I've noticed," said Troy, dryly but not unkindly. "Oh, that was something he mentioned as well. He's setting us up with a liaison, to save us having to contact him directly. Maybe that's where we'll get our instructions from, actually. I didn't think of that."

"What's a lee-aye-zon?" asked Helen, pronouncing the word slowly and carefully.

"It's someone who acts as a go between, so we don't have to report to him directly," said Troy. "He's busy with other projects at the moment. Rumour has it he's looking to set up solid branches in other regions too; not just Kanto. There's already a pretty strong presence in Johto, and the Sevii Islands, not to mention a few field agents in other areas but nothing significant yet."

"Looks like things are taking off for the team," said Helen.

"Good thing we joined when we did," agreed Troy.

"Team Rocket," said Helen dreamily. "We've got the uniforms; we've got our Pokémon; now we only need one more thing to make it perfect."

"What's that?" asked Troy.

"We need to practice our motto!"


	3. Chapter 3 - Forging Friendships

After finishing their lunch the girls decided to relax in Viridian City's Pokémon Center. Bree was tending to a slight blister on her ankle, while Sophie charged her computer and Jade took a nap on the sofa with Charmer curled up beside her. Once she'd fixed her foot up, Bree went to the phones and called home to let her mum know where she was.

"Viridian City already, my you're doing well," Bree's mother, Fiona, gushed as she bounced Louie on her knee. In the background Bree could see her siblings, Damian and Kimberley, running around.

"Is Kimmy feeling better?" Bree asked. At the sound of her voice, Kimmy came running to the phone and the screen was filled with her grinning face.

"Briaaaaanna," she squealed. "I missed you!"

"I miss you too, Kimmy," Bree laughed.

"Are you coming home now?"

"Not yet, Kimmy," Bree bit her lip, as her sister's face deflated. "But, when I do you can meet my Pokémon if you want?"

"No," Kimmy said, jumping down and running away from the screen.

Fiona sighed. "You know how she is," she said, apologetically.

"I know, Mum," Bree said, putting a brave face on though she felt a little sick in the pit of her stomach. "Is Dad there?"

"You're Father's a little busy at the moment, sweetheart," Fiona chirped, though Bree had seen him in the background a few moments before. "Oh, I got a call from Shannon earlier, did I tell you? She's doing well."

"Cool, Mum," Bree said, sighing inwardly. Her mother's subject-changing tactics hadn't been subtle enough to spare her feelings. She could tell her Dad wasn't interested in talking to her.

With the phone call over with, Bree gathered her things and went to leave the Center. Sophie saw her heading for the door, and ran up to stop her.

"Are you leaving us?" she joked, tilting her head to the side.

"There's a gym somewhere in Viridian City," Bree said, her face unreadable. "I was going to look."

"We can come with you if you want," Sophie replied, as Jade sleepily walked over to join them.

"No, I'd rather go on my own," Bree said, a little too sharply. "Just keep playing with your computer."

"It's not playing..." Sophie gasped, a little taken aback. "My story's important, too! Or do you not think that it is?" Her voice rose at the end, defensively.

"No, I never said that," Bree responded, quickly. "You know I think it matters, too." She felt that sickly feeling again. She hadn't meant to insult Sophie's writing.

"But you still think your badges are more important," Sophie replied, carefully.

Bree sighed, feeling her face flush with anger. "Fine," she snapped. "Keep putting words in my mouth all you want. We're going to look for the gym." She spun and walked out of the Pokémon Center, with her Bulbasaur close behind. Because he was the only one who followed her, he was the only one who saw the tears coursing down her cheeks.

Sophie grabbed her own belongings, and walked out into the sunlight a few minutes later. She picked a different direction to where Bree had gone and stalked off, leaving Jade watching over her charging computer.

"Retail therapy," she muttered, hotly. She soon found the shop she was looking for and strode inside.

Moments later she had chosen a top-range fishing rod from one of the display stands and brought it to the counter with a selection of bait. The assistant looked her up and down, frowning. "This isn't a beginner's rod, kiddo," he said, gruffly.

"And I'm not a beginner," she replied, dryly.

"Still," he replied, flipping over the price tag. She glared at him, pulling a card from her pocket and thumping it on the desk without breaking her eye contact. The assistant raised an eyebrow at the credit card, and sighed.

Once paid, Sophie stepped outside with the rod in a compact case and walked over to the nearby river. She fitted the rod together, running a hand over the wood expertly and selecting a bait. After carefully scanning the water's surface, she swapped it for another bait and fitted it to the end of the line, flicking it back and aiming for a spot further up the river.

Within half an hour, she'd walked back into the fisherman's shop, and dumped an extremely large Magikarp on the desk. She glared at the cashier's stunned expression.

"I," she said, slowly. "Am _not_ a beginner..."

Back at the Pokémon Center, Jade was becoming worried. She couldn't leave Sophie's computer behind and, even if she did leave, who would she go after? Having no siblings of her own, and very few friends her own age, she wasn't used to this kind of thing and couldn't be sure who was more at fault.

"I don't really think either of them were," she said to Charmer, who looked as glum as she felt. "I don't quite know how it started, I didn't really get it. They just seemed to miss each other's point somewhere."

"Char..." Charmer agreed, watching out the window for them.

"I'm sure they'll come back soon..."

"Who'll come back soon?" asked a voice. Jade spun round to see a friendly-looking older girl smiling at her. "C'mon, you look like you're in some kinda trouble. What's happened?"

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Jade said, waving her hands a little. "My friends just had a bit of an argument."

"Oh, is that all," the girl said, sighing. Then she checked herself, and cried out, "not that it's not awful, of course it's awful, that's not what I meant at all!"

Jade laughed despite her worry. "Were you hoping it was something else?" she asked.

"Well..." the girl hesitated, before nodding her head. "Let me start again. My name is Dani, and I want to be a police officer."

"Oh, I see," Jade said, thoughtfully. "So when you said you thought I looked like I was in trouble..."

"I do count that as trouble," Dani said, quickly. "Of course, I do! I was... I guess, just sorta hoping it was the more 'crime' type of trouble, you know?"

"I understand," Jade said, smiling. "I'm called Jade, and this is Charmer," she indicated her Pokémon, who was still diligently looking for Bree and Sophie.

"This is Rowdy," Dani replied, waving her hand down to floor, where there was no sign of anything. With a sigh, Dani placed her fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Still, no response.

"Um," Jade hesitated.

"We're still training," Dani explained, her face flushed almost as dark as her mahogany-coloured hair. She waved a hand desperately at Jade and ran away from her, hunting under the tables and sofas until she found what looked like the smallest Growlithe Jade had ever seen. He barked, with a cheerful look on his face, oblivious to Dani whispering desperately in his ear. Almost as soon as she'd taken a seat again, he ran under the table and began sniffing Jade's legs.

"He's friendly," she laughed, as he licked her fingers.

"He's impossible," Dani moaned. "He can't track scents, he never follows orders, and he's always moving!"

"He's just keen," Jade responded, comfortingly. "He'll come around, don't give up. Hey," she suddenly noticed a poster on the wall, and pointed it out to Dani. "Why don't you check out the Pokémon Academy and see if they can help? They might do courses, or something."

"That might be a good idea," Dani cried, grabbing Rowdy from the floor. "Thanks! and good luck with your friends."

Jade waved as Dani ran from the Pokémon Center, and wondered if she'd ever notice that she's just as exuberant as her tearaway Growlithe.

Bree hadn't said a word since leaving the Pokémon Center. She continued walking at a fairly brisk pace and, though her Bulbasaur had no trouble keeping up, it was unclear if she even knew he was there. Had she known the way to the Gym it wouldn't have taken very long but, mind racing and eyes unseeing, she walked in circles several time before finding it.

The ornate columns didn't dissuade her as she walked up the steps and approached the doors. Arriving at them, she tugged on the handles, then tried pushing, but it was no use. The entrance was locked fast, and the lights inside were all out.

Bree thumped her fist against the door, letting her forehead rest on it as the tears flowed once again. "All I want," she sobbed, miserably. "Is for him to notice me."

"Bulbaaa," Bree's Bulbasaur replied, watching with a pained expression as his trainer sunk to the ground and sat, with her back against the locked doors.

"He doesn't love me, Bulby," she sniffed. "I'm a girl, and he only likes the boys."

"Baaa?" Bulbasaur replied.

Bree folded her arms miserably on her knees. A part of her almost hated her father sometimes for never supporting her or her two older sisters in their dreams. Yet the eldest, her brother Rowan, need only snap his fingers and her parents would move mountains. She knew her mother did her best for all of them, but to her father she barely seemed to exist.

She could almost hear her mother's voice in her head, defending him. Telling her he does his best with all of them. He's not very good with girly things, even though Bree had done everything she could as a child to be a boy. She kept her hair shorter than Shannon and Courtney, wore Rowan's hand-me-downs instead of theirs, tried to play sports and climb trees. Yet he never taught her how to catch Pokémon the way he had done with Rowan. He didn't talk to any of the girls on the phone as they traveled, but he always made time for his eldest son. It just didn't seem fair.

"And yet she always defends him," Bree said, bitterly.

"Bah?" Bulbasaur wasn't following, since she wasn't saying most of her thoughts out loud.

"Mum," Bree explained, her voice strained. "Dad ignores me and Shannon and Courtney. He only takes Damian when he goes out. And when I say to Mum it's not fair she defends him."

After a long period of silence, Bree's Bulbasaur walked up to her and nuzzled at her arms until she allowed him inside. He sat himself against her, leaning his head in until she accepted his awkward embrace as the first real sign of a truce between them.

"I'll never ignore you, Bulby," Bree whispered through her tears.

"Bulbaaaa," replied Bulby, accepting that the name had now stuck.

It was beginning to grow dark when Sophie, sick of the stares from shop assistants, began to head home. Being on a journey like this one meant nobody took her seriously, and it was beyond frustrating.

"They look at me like I'm some scruffy kid," Sophie spat, as Bubbles trundled along behind her. She was sporting a cap with a teardrop motif and a pair of his very own sunglasses, since he kept stealing Sophie's.

"Squirt," he replied, after learning long before that this response was all that was needed to continue getting presents and not be the focus of his trainer's anger.

"If they knew..." she started, before hesitating and letting out a big sigh. "But then, what good would that do?"

"Squirt," replied Bubbles.

"I didn't leave home to be that person," Sophie added, a little more firmly. "I'm much more than that!"

"Squirt," Bubbles nodded, though without any added enthusiasm.

Sophie glared at him. "Don't for a second think I don't know you're not listening," she said, grumpily.

Bubbles grinned sheepishly, his glasses falling lopsided. Without ears it was really hard for him to balance them.

"Whatever," she said, turning again and walking back towards the Pokémon Center. When she walked through the doors she expected to see at least one of the other two, but neither of them were there. She went to the reception to book in a room, and was told Jade had already reserved one for the three of them.

"I guess that's something," she said, as Bubbles followed her down the corridor to the booked room. Inside, she found Pell sitting on the bed next to her computer.

"Where's Jade?" she asked.

"Pijooo," Pell replied, shaking her head towards the door with a gesture Sophie didn't understand.

"And... Bree?" she added, an uncomfortable feeling forming in her chest.

Pell shook her head, as Sophie dropped her bag in the room and ran back to the reception. She was trying to decide whether to call someone or go out looking when she spotted Bree walking in through the doors.

"Bree," she cried, all thoughts of their fight forgotten for a moment as she ran over. She could tell Bree had been crying.

"I don't think your story doesn't matter," Bree said quietly, through her sniffles.

"Idiot," Sophie laughed, throwing her arms around her friend. Bree took a deep breath and told Sophie a little bit about her dad, and how he never showed he was proud of her.

"Well, your Dad might suck," Sophie said, her voice twinged with irony. "But at least you have one."

"What do you mean?" Jade interrupted. Her hair was damp, and Sophie suddenly realised she must have been in the shower.

"Well," Sophie said, taking a deep breath. "I don't want you to be sorry and stuff, but my Dad's been missing for a long time. Since I was little."

"Oh..." Jade sat down heavily, too shocked to know what to say. Her parents were so important to her that the mere thought of life without one of them floored her.

"That's why it made you mad when I talked about my Dad so much?" Bree asked, carefully.

"It wasn't that," Sophie said, thinking about her words carefully. "My family just isn't like yours. Your life is so loud and busy, mine is just kinda dull really. My Mum and my sister, Lucy, just don't talk. At all. About anything."

"You have a sister?" Jade asked, a little wistfully.

"Like I said, she might as well not be there for all the times we speak to each other," Sophie frowned. "She never traveled like this. I think my Mum's mad that I left, but I won't just waste my life doing nothing. It's like my Dad's dead, even though we don't know that he is, and the whole house just sinks all the time. Does that make sense?"

"Um..." Bree hesitates.

"It's always there," Sophie tried to explain. "The fact that he isn't there is always such a big invisible thing, that nobody talks about."

"The Donphan in the room," Jade said.

"Yeah," Sophie nodded, though Bree still looked blank. "It's a saying," she continued. "Like, imagine there's a Donphan, right there," she pointed to the middle of the floor. "I can see it, you can see it. But I don't know that you can see it. So I don't mention it, in case only I can see it, and it makes me look crazy."

"Right..." Bree hesitated.

"But if I can see it, you can see it, Jade can see it... and none of us tel the others we can see it, then it's just this giant thing in a room that nobody talks about."

"So..." Bree said, thoughtfully. "Your Dad's like a giant Donphan in the room?"

"Oh, Bree," Sophie laughed. "In a way, he is. We never talk about if he's alive, or where he might be, or what happened to him. We never talk about missing him, or anything like that. But you know he's there, we're thinking it. The whole house seems to be thinking it! I just needed to get away for a while."

"Sounds really hard," Jade said, biting her lip.

"It's easier out here," Sophie smiled. "And I'm proud of him. I've seen photos of my Dad, he was an adventurer! These belonged to him." Sophie pulled the goggles from her head and placed them on the table. It was clear they were old, but they were well-made and very strong.

"Do you ever wonder where he went?" Bree asked.

"All the time!" Sophie said, tears beginning to bite at her eyes. "Oh, it's just so good to be able to talk about it, you know?"

"Yeah," Bree said, smiling as Sophie wiped her eyes. "I know it's different, of course, but all the trouble with my Dad. There's nobody to talk to, really. Mum just tries to keep the peace. Sometimes it's just nice to have someone to listen."

"That's what friends are for," Sophie said, smiling back.

Later that night, Jade wrote a letter to her parents. She was beginning to feel really homesick, especially with Bree and Sophie becoming so close over their family difficulties. She found herself sniffling as she signed her name, and was surprised when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asked. Jade turned, and both of them were stood behind her.

"The paper's beautiful," Bree said, smiling gently at the page in Jade's hand. It was purple, decorated with blue and yellow shapes, and had a shadowy print of a Dratini in the corner. It reminded Jade of growing up with Princess.

"My family's not messed up," Jade began, tears in her eyes.

"But you're a long way from home," Sophie said, reassuringly. "It's okay to miss them, and we can talk about that too, you know? No matter how messed up our families are."

Jade laughed, as the tears began to flow even more furiously. She let the other two read her letter before she tied it to Pell's leg and sent her flying with it.

"Are you sure she'll find her way?" Bree asked, her eyes wide.

"She wanted to go," Jade replied. "My family never stay in one place. It's the easiest way to keep in touch, and it's a good experience for her."

"Come on," Sophie said, squeezing Jade's shoulders as she wiped her eyes again. "I bought some stickers today so we can mark our Poké balls and make it easier to tell them apart. Want to use them?"

Jade sniffed a little more, and smiled. "Sure," she replied. As she decorated her Poké balls, she told her friends about her home, how she lived in a caravan and slept with her mother's Dragonair, Princess, guarding her every night. It made her feel better to be able to tell her own story like Bree and Sophie had shared theirs, and enjoy answering all their questions about the ranch.

"I'll take you there someday," she promised.

"After Kanto?" Sophie laughed.

Jade smiled. "After Kanto," she agreed.


End file.
